How to keep sowbugs out of the house?

How to keep sowbugs out of the house?

Keeping sowbugs out requires managing the outdoor environment and sealing entry routes. The vast majority of sowbugs crawl in from outside—blocking their path is more effective than killing them.

Outdoor environmental management

The outdoors is the main habitat for sowbugs. Reducing their habitat reduces their source:

• Remove dead leaves and weeds along the foundation.
• Move piles of bricks, firewood, and flower pots away from the wall or elevate them.
• Keep the foundation dry; check that drainage is clear.
• Avoid soaking the foundation when watering plants outdoors—sowbugs dislike dryness.

Seal entry routes

• Seal the gap under doors with weather stripping; fill gaps between the door frame and floor with caulk.
• Fill gaps between window frames and walls with expanding foam.
• Seal openings where air conditioner and range hood pipes pass through walls.
• Repair cracks in walls and damaged foundations with cement or filler.

Indoor protective measures

• On the first floor or in basements, place flower pots on stands; do not let the bottoms touch the floor directly.
• Install screens on first-floor windows to prevent sowbugs from crawling in.
• Keep basement entrances dry; place desiccants or apply insecticides regularly at the entrance.
• Do not stack cardboard boxes in corners of storage rooms—sowbugs love to hide in them.

Insecticide barrier

• Apply bifenthrin-containing household hygiene spray at the bottom of first-floor door frames, outside window sills, and near basement entrances.
• Spray a 30 cm wide band of insecticide along the outdoor foundation to create a barrier.
• Sowbugs crawling in from outside will die upon contact with the treated surface.
• Reapply monthly, and after rain.